Display-rack for rolls of merchandise.



. 1. SCOTT.

Patented May 30, 1911.

DISPLAY RACK F011 ROLLS 0F MERCHANDISE. APPLICATION FILED Imm, 1911.

1HE nomas persas a., wAsHlNcmN, n. c.

MILTON D. SCOTT, OF KEWANEE, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY-RACK FOR ROLLS OF MERCHANDISE.

Speciicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3o, 1911.

Application led February 6, 1911. Serial No. 606,783.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON D. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Kewanee, county of Henry, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display- Racks for Rolls of Merchandise, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in display racks for rolls of merchandise such as oil cloth and linoleum.

The objectof my invention is the provision of a display rack of the character mentioned by means of which rolls of merchandise may be supported in an eficient manner and in which the rolls will be so supported that when desired the merchandise may be readily and easily unwound for display or cutting.

A further object is the production of a display rack as mentioned which will be of durable and economical construction and efficient in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists in a display rack characterized as above mentioned and in certain details of construction and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

My invent-ion will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which- Figure 1 is a partial sectional front elevation of a display rack embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line of Fig. 1.

The preferred form of my construction as illustrated in the drawing comprises a supporting frame or body which consists o-f a base member 1, spaced uprights 2 and a cross piece 3 atthe upper end of the uprights 2, said members 1, 2, and 3 being rigidly con-` nected forming a substantially rectangular frame.

Arranged upon the inner surface of the uprights 2 are substantially U-shaped metallic bearing members or plates 4, the same being preferably sunk into said sides of said uprights and rigidly secured in posit-ion by means of screws 5 extending at intervals therethrough. The vmembers 4, as will be observed, are arranged in the uprights 2 in transverse alinement so as to adapt the same to support rollers whose extremities engage the frame in horizontal position7 as will be described in the following.

Provided in the upper edges of each of the members 4 are pluralities of spaced upwardly opening slots 6, and provided in the upper edge of the intermediate portion of each of the members 4 are upwardly opening slots 7 and midway between said slots 7 a similar slot 8.

Extending between the uprights 2 are transversely extending rollers 9 gudgeons 10 provided at the extremities of said rollers 9 removably resting in transversely' alining slots 7 in the bearing members 4. The sets of rollers 9 serve as supports for the rolls 11 of merchandise to be displayed, said rolls 11 being adapted to loosely rest upon the uper sides of the rollers 9 as clearly illustrated in the several views. Also extending between the uprights 2 are rollers 12 preferably of diameters slightly less than that of the rollers 9, the gudgeons 13 of the rollers 12 loosely resting in transversely alining slots 6. The rollers 12, as will be observed, are arranged above the corresponding rollers 9 and are adapted, when the device is in use, to serve as guides for the outer extremity of the merchandise roll in unwinding the latter and also as a means of preventing accidental displacement of the rolls from their proper positions upon the supporting rollers 9. By the provision of a plurality of slots 6 at the upper extremity of each of the limbs of each of the members 4, provision is made whereby adjustment of the rollers 12 relative to the periphery of the roll 11 thereto is afforded; so that when the roll is of largest diameter the rollers 12 may be arranged in the outermost of the slots 6, as shown in the upper end of the rack and that as the diameter of the roll diminishes, said rollers 12 may be moved inwardly into engagement with the succeeding slots 6 to better accommodate the same. Upon the roll becoming very small one of the rollers 12 coperating therewith may be moved from engagement with the slots 6 to engagement with the slots 8, as shown in dotted lines in the lower end of the rack in Fig. 2, said roller 12 when so arranged being obviously adapted to serve to support the under side of the roll arranged above the same preventing dropping thereof between the spaced rollers 9. In order to permit of this adjustment or interchanging of the rollers 12 the portions of the upright-s 2 adjacent the outer ends of the slots 6, 7 and 8 are cut away as at 14.

The rollers 9 and 12 are preferably, although not necessarily, formed of wood, the extremities thereof because of the arrangement of the gudgeons therein being preferably reinforced by metallic ferrules 15. The gudgeons 10 at corresponding ends of certain of the rollers 9 are extended beyond the outer sides of the corresponding upright 2 for the reception of crank handles 16 which are secured thereto in order that manual rotation of said rollers 9 may be effected. By this provision it will be seen that rotation of the rolls 11 of merchandise in order to effect winding or unwinding thereof as the case may be may be secured simply by rotating the crank handle 16, rotation of said rolls 11 being imparted thereto by friction.

It is understood that the uprights 2 may be made of any desired height and that any number of sets of plates 4 and rollers may be supported in the frame in order to accommodate any desired number of merchandise rolls.

While I have shown what I deem to be the preferred form of my invention I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be various changes made in the details of construction and the arrangements of parts described without departing from the spirit of the invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims. I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to the preoise details of construction as set forth but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims. i

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A display rack for rolls of merchandise comprising uprights; and a plurality of sets of transversely extending rollers extending between said uprights and having their ends adjustably mounted in said uprights so that said rollers may be adjusted toward and from each other, said rollers forming supports for the rolls of merchandise to be displayed, substantially as described.

2. A display rack for rolls of merchandise comprising uprights; a plurality of sets of transverse rollers extending between said uprights and having their ends removably mounted in slots provided in the inner sides of said uprights, said rollers forming Supports for the rolls of material to be displayed, there being a greater number of slots than rollers so that said rollers may be variously arranged to accommodate rolls of various diameters; and means connected with certain of said rollers for effecting manual rotation thereof, substantially as described.

3. A display rack for rolls of merchandise comprising uprights; a plurality of sets of transverse rollers extending between said uprights; and bearing plates arranged upon the inner sides of said uprights, said plates having upwardly opening slots, the ends of said rollers engaging said slots, said rollers forming supports for the rolls of material to be displayed, substantially as described.

4. A display rack for rolls of merchandise comprising uprights; a plurality of sets of transverse rollers extending between said uprights; substantially U-shaped bearing plates arranged upon the inner sides of said uprights, the upper extremity of each limb of each of said plates being provided with a plurality of horizontally spaced upwardly opening slots, guide rollers removably supported in said slots, the intermediate portions of said plates being provided with two horizontally spaced similar slots and the central port-ion of said plates being provided with a single upwardly opening slot; rollers adapted to be mounted in said last mentioned slot and forming supports for rolls of merchandise to be displayed; and means for effecting manual rotation of one of said supporting rollers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILTON D. SCOTT. Witnesses:

HELEN F. LILLrs,

JOSHUA R. H. PoTTs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

